The Current State Of Cooking 2

So, while not all guests are innocent, some are much worse than others. Sure, there are the rude diners, those who haven't learned how to tip,etc. I had the opportunity to work at a nice boutique restaurant in the San Juan Islands where the wife oversaw the BOH and the husband looked after FOH. The husband was amazing in his ability to properly oversee a high-end dining room. He also had no qualms with asking guests to leave should they make the mistake of presuming that just because someone was serving them, that person was somehow subservient to them. We had our share of food snobs as well, irritating to say the least. HOWEVER, do not confuse some arrogant/ignorant food snob for a foodie. I personally adore foodies, these people are the reason you can have scallops three ways on a menu or an appetizer of fricassed frog legs with house made frog demi, real frog demi-from frog bones. These people are like the modern day equivalent of the House of Medici, instead of being generous patrons for starving artists, they support small cafes, bistros and honest chefs. These types of diners will help you to pay the electricity bill. There is a vile splinter group of the foodie sect that makes up the worst guest of all( some of them even work in kitchens-shudder)- those who would be pretenders to the throne, those who have convinced themselves they have legitimate skill, knowledge or ability. On one hand it's kind of flattering that these individuals want to be like us, the true professionals, the actual chefs. Trust me, just because you have been to Italy once and Cancun twice, this doesn't mean you can claim to have a solid foundation of world cuisine. Yes, yes, I know, you read Mastering The Art Of French Cooking, you took a few classes at Sur La Table, you have a French rolling pin and you had the money to buy a set of Le Creuset sauce pots which you casually mentioned to the waiter at the French Laundry the last time you were in Napa-this does not make you a chef, really. On the same note, you own a Silpat, a cake wheel, an offset spatula, Nancy Silverton is one of your Facebook "friends" and you took two workshops on the intricacies of laminated dough..I'm sorry, but this does not make you a pastry chef...no, really, it doesn't. Also, if you've only ever worked at one restaurant ( albeit for 10-15 years) this doesn't automatically make you a chef/pastry chef either, regardless of your title. There is something to be said for longevity of employment, but if that one kitchen is all you've ever seen, then that's all you know. Until next time, eat well, drink well and share your table with your friends.